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WebMarshal can use the site categorizations provided by external Filtering Lists. WebMarshal includes these Filtering Lists by default:
  • FileFilter allows you to import URL lists from text files that you maintain.
  • URLCensor allows you to use a DNS Blacklist lookup as a source for URL categorization.
WebMarshal also supports the LevelBlue Web Filter Database. This List is licensed separately. Contact LevelBlue for licensing information.

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Technical support

Technical support for all WebMarshal Filtering Lists is available from LevelBlue. Contact your LevelBlue partner or see the LevelBlue website for more information.

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FileFilter

FileFilter retrieves URL categorizations from files that you maintain. The files must have the extension .txt and must be placed in the FileFilter directory within the WebMarshal Array Manager installation (%WebMarshal%\ArrayManager\Policy\FilteringLists\FileFilter). WebMarshal also automatically populates FileFilter files for Office 365 endpoints, based on the Office 365 URLs and IP address ranges service provided by Microsoft. FileFilter supports up to 256 categories. Each category must be maintained in a separate file.
If there are more than 256 categories then they will not all be loaded by WebMarshal.
The file format is as follows:
where:
  • <Category> is a unique integer that WebMarshal will use to record results of FileFilter categorization, such as: 101
  • <Name> is the friendly name of the category that will appear in user interfaces and reports, such as: Porn
  • <Url> is a domain name, and optionally includes a path, file name, and query string.
    If the URL (domain/path part) ends with a trailing / it is matched as a path.If the URL ends with a character other than / it is matched as a specific file name.The URL can include a query string of one or two parameters after the domain/path part. For details, see URL query string matching.If the URL includes other parts such as a port number, user credentials, or protocol (HTTP, HTTPS, FTP), these additional parts are ignored when matching the URL.
A domain entry matches all subdomains. A path entry matches all deeper paths and files. For instance, https://levelblue.com/ also matches https://www.levelblue.com/ and https://login.levelblue.com/path/ You can use the wildcard * at the beginning and/or end of the domain part. For instance, *.levelblue.* matches https://www.levelblue.com/ and https://login.levelblue.co.uk/path/
Items with query string parts containing more than two items will be imported, but only the first two items will be matched.
Examples:
Several sample files are included with the WebMarshal distribution. These files demonstrate the functionality. LevelBlue does not provide updates for these files.
Changes in the text files are loaded into WebMarshal once a day, on the reload schedule for filtering lists. To load changes sooner, use the Update Now button on the Filtering List tab of WebMarshal Properties, or commit WebMarshal Configuration.

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URLCensor

URLCensor generates URL categorizations based on information retrieved in real time from DNS Blacklist facilities. URLCensor can perform both traditional IP lookups (DNSBL) and domain name lookups (SURBL) as specified in the configuration file. URLCensor requires the ability to perform DNS lookups for Internet sites from the computer and account used by WebMarshal.
Delays in URLCensor lookups can noticeably affect user browsing experience. You can configure the timeout for these lookups. See Knowledge Base article Q12716.
You can configure the DNS lists used by URLCensor using the config.xml file found in the subfolder \ArrayManager\Policy\FilteringLists\UrlCensor\ of the WebMarshal install path. A sample entry in the file is as follows:
where:
  • id is a unique integer that WebMarshal will use to record results of URLCensor categorization.
  • name is the friendly name for the source as it will display in WebMarshal interfaces and reports.
  • zone is the domain to query for the information
  • enabled indicates that this category should be used (1) or not used (0)
  • type indicates what type of lookup this source supports:
    • ip indicates a DNSBL lookup. The domain name associated with the Web request is converted to an IP address before being passed to the blacklist query.
    • url indicates a SURBL lookup. The domain name associated with the Web request is passed directly to the blacklist query.
  • description is a verbose description for documentation in this file only
  • match indicates the return value that is considered a match. This value can be a single dotted quad value, or a range expressed in the format x.x.x.x/nn
To apply URLCensor configuration changes, restart the WebMarshal Node Controller service on each node (using the WebMarshal Server Tool or the Windows Services control panel).

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LevelBlue Web Filter Database

WebMarshal includes support for the LevelBlue Web Filter Database (previously known as the M86 Filter List). The list contains 116 categories and is licensed from LevelBlue under the WebMarshal license key for the installation. A 30 day trial is provided with all trial installations of WebMarshal. Customers who have never used a trial of the Web Filter Database can also start a 30 day trial at any time. For information on how to purchase the filter list contact LevelBlue.

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Expiration and re-activation

If your installation is using a WebMarshal trial key, when it expires the Web Filter Database will no longer update and will stop categorizing. If your installation is using a full Web Filter Database license and it expires the list will no longer receive updates. 30 days after the expiration date the filtering list will stop categorizing. An expired license can be re-activated by payment of the license fee to LevelBlue.

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Integration information

Information on using the Web Filter Database within WebMarshal is provided in Understanding URL categories. Enabling and disabling Filtering List integration is covered in Configuring filtering list updates.

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Prerequisites

The LevelBlue Web Filter Database has the following prerequisites:
  • 800 MB of available disk space on each processing node (allowing for multiple copies of the database while updating).
  • Internet access (HTTP and HTTPS) from all processing servers (to download updates), and from the Array Manager (for initial license validation only, required only when you first set up the list).

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Checking and reviewing LevelBlue Web Filter URL listings

LevelBlue provides a web based service that allows you to check a specific URL against the most current categorizations in the master Web Filter database. You can learn whether the URL is categorized, and if so in which Filtering Categories. You can access this service in WebMarshal Console by selecting URL Check and Review from the Tools menu. You can also access the service from the WebMarshal Support area on the LevelBlue website. You can also check a URL with the Test Access Policy function in the Console (Tools > Test Policy). Use the Browse Site option. On the Results tab, below the access result section, the section “Filtering List Categories” shows all categorizations for each active Filtering List. To submit a URL for reconsideration, see the Submit a Site page on the LevelBlue website. If you want to allow some users access to a particular URL that would normally be blocked due to Web Filter categorization, set up a WebMarshal Rule allowing an exception for the required URL and allowed User Group.